One of the biggest beauty issues is waking up with puffy eyes, especially when you have a big day planned. A variety of factors contribute to puffy eyes including excessive stress, crying, sinus issues, dieting, sleep problems, allergies, weather changes, hormonal changes, dermatitis, and genetics. The good news is there are some simple and nature tricks for solving this problem.

Water

Staying well-hydrated is one of the easiest ways to ward off puffy eyes. When you drink at least 8-10 glasses of water daily, you’re less likely to retain water and experience swelling under your eyes or anywhere else on your body. Try avoiding caffeine, as well as other dehydrating carbonating beverages.

Cold Spoons

This surprisingly effectively home remedy is also very simple. Your blood vessels will relax the same time the skin around your eyes tighten. All you have to do is chill five or six spoons for around ten or fifteen minutes. Hold spoons so the rounded part is on your eye until it becomes warm, and then change it out.

Tea Bags

The tea can be green or black, it doesn’t matter because both will work for puffy eyes. The tea also works for inflammation and redness, as well. Soak two tea bags in hot water, and then let them cool. Place the tea bags over your eyes, lie down, and then place a cloth over your eyes. Stay this way for at least fifteen minutes. Repeat this routine several times daily until puffiness is gone.

Cucumbers

In addition to tightening the skin around the eyes to remove puffiness and wrinkles, cucumbers also eliminate dark circles. Make thick cuts, chill slices for ten minutes, place on eyes for ten minutes (or until they’ve warmed), and then repeat this routine several times until puffiness is gone.

Egg Whites

In addition to getting rid of puffiness, egg whites also help eliminate wrinkles. All you have to do is separate the yolks from the whites, whip the whites until they are stiff, and add a couple of drops of witch hazel astringent. Apply the mixture underneath the eye using a soft cloth and allow it to dry. Leave the mixture on for at least fifteen minutes. Repeat this routine once per day for several days until puffiness is gone.

Potatoes

Potatoes have the same healing properties as cucumbers, including getting rid of dark circles. Use a medium sized potato, peel it, wash it, grate it up, place the gratings into a clean cloth, tie it up, and place the cloth over your eyes for at least five minutes. Repeat the routine several times daily until puffiness is gone.

Cold Water

Just like drinking water, splashing water will help your puffy eyes. Splash water on your eyes several times daily until puffiness is gone. This will lessen swelling and constrict blood vessels. If this is too irritating, holding bags of ice on your eyes is just as effective.

Salt Water

Salt mixed with hot water effectively reduces puffiness and swelling. Mix four cups of hot water with half a teaspoon of salt. Place cotton balls into the mixture and then place them on to your eyes for a couple of minutes.

Strawberries

There are alpha-hydroxy acids in strawberries that help reduce swelling and puffiness. Chill strawberries for at least a half hour, cut off the tops, cut the strawberries into thick slices, place slices under eyes, and lie down for several minutes.

Aloe Vera

In addition to being a wrinkle reducer, aloe vera is also great for reducing puffiness. By applying aloe vera around your eyes, you’re flushing out unwanted fluids and improving blood circulation. This will help reduce puffiness and swelling.

Eye color can be considered as one of the most fascinating genetic traits for parents as their child develops. Even before the child is born, some parents are interested to know whether their child’s eyes are black, blue, brown, green, gray, or any other color.

You probably already know that the appearance of the child is based on the genetic material that each of the parents contribute. The genes of the child’s parents can mix and match in countless ways, and only when the child is finally born that each parent’s influence will be revealed.

Iris: The Colored Part of the Eye

The part of the eye that has color is called the iris. It contains the pigment called melanin, which determines the color of the eyes. Basically, the eye color of a person depends on how much melanin he has in his iris. The more melanin, the darker the eye color of the person. People who have eyes that are color gray, blue, green, or any other light colors can be said to have less melanin in their iris than those who have black eyes for instance.

Aside from giving color, the pigment melanin also has a more important function—providing protection from the sun. With this, it follows that people who have eyes that are light in color can be considered as more sensitive to the harmful effects of the sun’s ultraviolet rays than those with black or dark brown eyes.

Based on studies, three genes are responsible for a person’s eye color, but only two are fully understood. These genes are responsible for common eye colors, such as brown, blue, and green. Other color combinations including hazel and gray are not yet well understood or explained during this time.

You should also be aware that the eye color of a person is not a result of a blending of his parents’ eye colors, such as when mixing paint. As mentioned earlier, each parent will contribute his or her genes to the child and there are many different possibilities of eye colors.

Changes in Eye Color

There are many factors that can lead to changes in eye color. Some of the most common factors include diseases, aging, and trauma. By the time a baby is born, the newborn child only has small amounts of melanin in his eyes. As the child develops, the amount of melanin also increases and the true color of the child’s eyes will only be revealed by the time that he/she is about three years old. This is the reason why some babies are born with blue eyes and then it will darken as they age.

The most common eye color in the world is brown, and then followed by blue and gray. The rarest eye color in the whole world is green.

Common Superstitions About the Color of the Eyes

Just like many other common things, eye color has also been the source of some interesting superstitions over the years. According to those who are mystically inclined, the eyes can show the talents and personality traits of a person. For example, people who have blue eyes are believed to be very imaginative, while people with eyes that are colored green have very sharp minds. On the other hand, people with hazel eyes are very passionate, and brown-eyed people are believed to be calm.

Eye strain is a fairly common eye condition that can be painful and debilitating. It can lessen productivity and can negatively affect daily activities. In this article, you will learn about the basic things about eye strain, including the type of people who are at risk, the causes, symptoms, and ways to deal with the problem.

What is Eye Strain?

As the name suggests, this condition simply refers to the straining of the muscles of the eyes. The eyes are made up of six muscles and a ciliary body around the eyes. When at least one of these muscles become strained due to over fatigue, a form of eye strain may occur.

Who are at Risk?

Anyone can experience eye strain, regardless of their age, social status, or gender. However, those who are at greater risk are those who tend to overuse their eyes. Some examples are:

Frequent Computer Users or Television Viewers

Prolonged staring at computer screens or any other type of screen can easily cause eye strain. The main reason is that working, watching, or playing on these light emitting sources involves tremendous eye concentration that may tire the eyes. With this, gamers and office workers who spend most of their time in front of the computer, as well as frequent television viewers are more likely to experience the symptoms of eye strain.

People who read frequently.

Reading is another activity that can easily make the eyes tired. So intensive readers such as writers, journalists, students, teachers, editors, and librarians are at high risk for eye strain.

People whose jobs involve working on small details.

Some examples of jobs which require too much eye concentration on small details include model makers, tailors,seamstress, or even needlework enthusiasts. Focusing your eyes intensely on a particular spot or small detail for an extended period of time can easily cause eye fatigue and eye strain.

What are the Symptoms of Eye Strain?

It is fairly easy to recognize the symptoms of eye strain. Listed below are some of the most common ones:

Headaches

Lightheadedness

Blurred vision

Watery eyes

Eye spasms or twitches

Dry eyes

Heavy eyelids

Neck aches

Eyes that are sore or feeling tired

Nausea

Dizziness

Itchy eyes

Double vision

Heavy feeling on the forehead

Inability to concentrate

Fatigue

Problems when reading

What are the Possible Causes of Eye Strain?

Below are the activities and conditions that commonly cause eye strain:

Prolonged computer use

Driving

Intensive reading

Pitching in baseball or softball

Extended watching of television

Working in low light conditions

Too much brightness

Stress

Contrast levels of the screen are too low

Fluorescent lighting

Glare

Fatigue

Bad viewing angle

Alcohol use

Improper posture

Uncorrected vision

Drug use

Tiredness

How to Deal with Eye Strain?

If you experience eye strain occasionally, you do not really need to consult with an eye doctor. You can easily alleviate the negative symptoms and discomfort by doing the following:

Relaxing and soothing your eyes

The easiest way to get relief from eye strain is by resting your tired eyes and soothing them. If you really need to finish something on the computer, a 15-minute rest for every two hours of computer use may be sufficient. When you feel that your eyes are already tired, close them for a while or take a nap. Moreover, you can also put tea bags or a slice of cucumber on each eye to soothe them.

Doing eye exercises

There are two types of exercises for the eye muscles, namely strengthening and relaxation. They are of equal importance and are both essential for maintaining eye health and improving eye performance. These exercises can easily be found on the internet.

If you experience eye strains regularly and feel severe pain, it is recommended to consult with your ophthalmologist immediately. Doing so will enable you to know the underlying cause of the regular eye strain and you will also be provided with effective solutions.

Do you experience consistent itchiness, irritation, and burning sensation in your eyes? If yes, you are probably suffering from dry eyes. Some of the most common causes of dry eyes include prolonged wearing of contact lenses and insufficient production of tears.

If you want to hydrate your eyes and prevent irritation, you might want to try doing the following:

Apply artificial tears in your eyes.

Using artificial tear eye drops is the most efficient way to deal with dry eyes, especially if your eyes do not produce sufficient amount of tears naturally. This type of eye drops can greatly alleviate the discomfort, and some can even be bought over the counter. One thing to remember is that these artificial tear eye drops are not the same as those which are used for red eyes.

Use lubrication while sleeping.

It is advisable to apply eye lubrication before you sleep, if your eyes get dry while sleeping. In order to know the kind of mineral oil lubricant that is most suitable for your condition, consult with your ophthalmologist.

Blink your eyes frequently.

The most natural way to make your eyes produce more tears is by blinking. When you are working in front of the computer or focusing on something, you are actually blinking less frequent. So if you want to avoid having dry eyes, blink frequently and take short breaks from your work to rest your eyes.

Keep Your Body Hydrated

Increasing your fluid intake is also an effective way to make your eyes produce more tears.

Use a humidifier or air cleaner in your home.

Sometimes, the presence of dust or pollen and the lack of air moisture cause dry eyes. With this, using an air cleaner and humidifier in your house may be helpful in reducing the adverse symptoms.

Hydrate your contact lenses.

Make sure that you maintain your contact lenses and keep them well-hydrated. Additionally, you should never forget to remove your contact lenses before you go to sleep and clean them with the recommended saline solution. You might also want to replace your existing contact lenses with the breathable type in order to solve dry eye problems.

Maintain a healthy diet.

Eating the right kinds of food can alleviate the symptoms of dry eyes and any other medical condition. Foods that are rich in Omega-3, and vitamin A, E, and C are particularly helpful in maintaining well-lubricated and healthy eyes.

Remove the blockage in your tear ducts.

In some cases, dry eyes are caused by blocked tear ducts. So try to unblock them in order for your natural hydration system to work properly again.

Get sufficient amounts of sleep.

Getting enough sleep will enable your eyes to rest and replenish the moisture they need.

Doing the things listed in this article can help ease the discomfort that you are experiencing. Aside from making you feel more comfortable, keeping your eyes lubricated can also prevent other problems such as eye strain. Remember that if you have severe dry eyes and the mentioned ways do not seem to work, it is best to consult with a physician as soon as possible.

Dry Eyes in the Water: Swimming is an effective way to keep in shape. During the summer it is a fun way to keep cool. But if you’re in the water a lot, whether in a local pool, nearby lake or salt water beach, you might notice that your eyes occasionally become itchy or feel gritty.

These uncomfortable sensations affect swimmers and surfers. They are signs of chemical conjunctivitis, better known as Pink Eye, and Swimmer’s and Surfer’s Dry Eye. In both conditions, the problem is usually temporary and easy to treat. If the condition lasts, professional help is advised.

Pink Eye

Chemical conjunctivitis is called Pink Eye because of the reddening effects of inflammation on the white of the eye. The chlorine used in pools is the most common cause among swimmers, but air pollution and other chemicals in the environment also contribute.

The eye has a very thin layer of tissue that covers the white of the eye with a transparent film. Chemicals irritate this delicate membrane, causing inflammation in one or both eyes. Common symptoms include:

watery eyes

itchy feeling

gritty feeling

burning sensation

swollen eyelids

discharge

redness

sensitivity to light

blurred vision

In most cases the condition is easy to fix by pouring warm tap water or a saline solution over the surface of the eye. This helps flush away the chemicals causing the inflammation. Eye drops such as Crocodile Tears work well to stop the itching and burning. Cold compresses can help relieve irritation.

If you use contacts, don’t wear them until the inflammation, redness, and itchy, burning feeling are gone.

If these home remedies don’t solve the problem, the next step is a check up at the eye doctor, either an optometrist or ophthalmologist. This is especially important if a thick discharge is seeping out or if you have cloudy vision for more than a few hours.

Prevention is always the best approach, but it can be hard in public pools. The proper pH balance is easy to fix in a pool in your own yard but beyond your authority at the community pool. That’s why using swimming goggles is essential to keep your eyes out of direct contact with chlorine and other chemicals.

Swimmer’s and Surfer’s Eye

This condition is very similar to Pink Eye. It is caused by changes in the tear film, made up principally of water, which protects the eye. When its water content evaporates too fast, it creates an excess of salt. The result is discomfort and blurry vision. If it happens too often, the effects can become chronic.

What causes the over-evaporation is contact with chlorine in pools, the salt in the ocean and UV rays from the sun. The three main ways to prevent the problem are:

drink 8 to 10 glasses of water on days you swim or surf

use eye protection both in and out of the water

make sure your tear film is well hydrated before and after a dip in the water

If you get Swimmer’s or Surfer’s Eye, you can use Crocodile Tears to add moisture to the eye and tear film.

https://www.croctears.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/swimmer-dry-eyes.jpg564851Judd Dunaganhttps://www.croctears.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/logotype.pngJudd Dunagan2014-11-20 10:35:362014-11-20 10:37:19Dry Eyes in the Water

Dry eyes following Lasik surgery can be an annoyance for many, however this is a growing into a bigger issue for many Americans. Some people must endure hours of complicated daily regimes just to care for their eyes. There are others who experience so much pain from their dry eyes that they have to sit for hours with their eyes closed just to experience relief.

Are There Treatments Available?

Treatments typically consists of use of drops, mists, eye compresses, ointments, duct plugs, nutritional supplements, and moisture retention glasses. Due to the amount of people suffering worldwide from dry eye symptoms, they spend upwards of $522 million on an annual basis on products for their dry eye symptoms. This is an increasing problem, experts agree.

Even though this is a widespread problem, many Lasik surgeons are not referring to “dry eye syndrome” as a complication related to Lasik surgery. Surgeons are well aware of the complaints of dry-eye in nearly half the patients and that it could be a permanent issue alongside other issues like night vision problems, but it viewed as a common problem and not a complication.

What Typically Causes Dry Eyes?

Due to issues such issues as age, environmental pollution, air conditioning, side effects from certain prescription medications, Lasik eye surgery, and how many hours a person spends in front a computer, all of these factors contribute to dry eye. As you can see, there are a number of other factors contributing to dry eye in addition to Lasik eye surgery.

This begs the questions, though, how do patients of Lasik surgery, specifically find relief when there are so many other issues that already cause dry eye symptoms? An individual would have to think about how they are living, what their habits were prior to their surgery, and if dry eye was persistent prior to their surgery before seeking treatment. If they were receiving dry-eye treatments prior to their Lasik eye surgery, this information is important to discuss with their surgeon or their primary care physician at the time of their consultation. While over the counter medications may provide short-term relief, severe dry eye symptoms may require a prescription remedy.

How Widespread is This Problem?

Following the procedure, and expected 50% of patients will experience dry eye symptoms. These symptoms can last from two weeks to one year following the procedure. However, some patients have symptoms that have lasted longer than one year. There are FDA warnings stating that dry eye syndrome could be permanent in some patients.

It is suggested that those who have undergone Lasik eye surgery and are experiencing dry eye symptoms should file a MedWatch report with the FDA. This form can be downloaded and faxed directly to the FDA, or mailed in. Or, patients can call in for more information. This is a voluntary reporting system allowing for information to be passed along to the FDA about your issues with Lasik surgery, as well as the resulting dry eye symptoms.

Microscopic vistas found in the study of 100 tears as viewed through a microscope have proved to be a haunting reminder of the human struggle. During a period of personal challenge and change, the project began. Years later, looking back upon the pictures, a composition of sorrow, laughter, rejection, resolution, and rebirth can be found.

Magnified tears contain structure evocative of landscape or terrain. While tears are composed of water, minerals, antibodies, and proteins…this series shows the passing landscapes, a moment in time, the touch of a dream’s breath.

The similarity between large scale and small scale in nature is truly astounding. Crystalline structures, erosion, and fractals can be seen both on the Earth and in our tears. Every tear holds a unique signature, no matter the origin. Micro and macro – nature reaches past the boundaries of size.

Tears speak a primal language to our souls. As we shed tears, we also shed that which binds us to the moment, we allow our inner self to spill into the physical realm. As spontaneous as tears are, they seem to carry the entirety of our soul inside of each tiny droplet.

The body responds to different sorts of emotions with tears. It can be difficult to tell which moment will cause us to come to tears. Laughter can trigger more crying than a sudden and significant loss. Those that never cry during stressful or sorrowful times may break down into tears years after an event.

A simple word, scent, or view can change the heart and bring forth tears that one never knew they were holding back. Sometimes a person may be unable to physically shed tears. The impact on emotion from being unable to cry with tears can be very strong. Tears wash the soul and help remove the debris of time and hurt.

The inability to cry may stem from a medical reason. Dry eyes can be remedied, but what about the lack of actual tears? It can be difficult to find a reason or even to understand why the missing emotional tears are so important. A doctor can help…though if the absence is not physical, much soul-searching may need to be done. Self-exploration may find the root of the tearlessness.

Every tear is a history in itself. Holding the whole of the human experience in each, tears can remove actual debris from the eye, cleanse the heart, or bring people together in a moment of laughter.